BEASTLY ALLURE

●Fire & Audience

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Source:pinterest.

Total adrenaline surge - the classic fight or flight moment. But here's the twist: it froze me in my tracks. I'm like a statue, knife in hand, feeling pretty useless as the man stands right in front of me.

Now there's the million-dollar question - is that figure in front of me a real dude or just a ghostly apparition?

Summoning all my courage i managed to squeak out "Hey, don't you dare move!"

He just stared, and I couldn't tell you how long that went on for. But then, he stepped closer, and the light from the fire spilled over him, finally letting me see him clearly.

I had to tilt my head up to get a good look at him. He had a strong jaw, like it could slice through these woods. Plump lips. And get this - his hair was a light shade of purple, falling down like a waterfall. Those eyes, though? A striking hunter purple, scanning me like I was some kind of show. And trust me, I was returning the favor, sizing him up.

Then my gaze shifted downward, noticing his broad shoulders and seriously muscular arms that could probably toss me into the next century without anyone noticing. And oh boy, those abs - talk about a workout goal. But hang on a second - pause button!

He's stark naked.

I quickly stepped back, practically using my hands to shield my beet-red face.

"Dude, seriously? Put something on," I blurted out while turning around. But wait - rookie move alert! Revealing my back to a total stranger who could easily, you know, do some forest magic and poof, I'm history.

And then, I heard some rustling - a sound like he was moving something.

I spun around and saw him sitting by the fire. He had some fur around his waist - a kind of makeshift clothing, I guess.

Hmm, should I go all tough and threaten him, or maybe just take a chill seat and observe?

I went with the second option - survival mode. So, I quietly sat down in front of the fire. And, of course, I couldn't help but check out where he came from - was he alone or were there more dudes lurking around?

As if he had a telepathic connection to my thoughts, he spoke up. "I'm alone," he said, breaking his silence. His voice? Well, it was like a deep, smooth melody. I turned my gaze to him, and his light skin tone glowed in the firelight.

I mustered my bravest attempt at being all tough and said, "Check it, if you're here to mess with me, you're wasting your time. My pals are hanging around, just so you know." I mean, it sounded cooler in my head.

He raised an eyebrow that was so perfectly shaped, it should be a crime. And those purple eyes of his? Well, they looked at me with a hint of amusement, like I was telling him the funniest joke ever.

"What's pals?" He asked.

I was a bit caught off guard, to be honest. "Uh, pals, you know, friends, buddies, mates" I answered, hoping the penny would drop for him.

He leaned in closer to the fire, and then he hit me with it, "Mates? I don't see any of your mates around."

That's when I tried to get all intimidating, but I'll be honest - I had no clue what I was saying. "Well, that's the thing, they're like... invisible backup. You can't see them, but if you try anything funny, they'll swoop in and take you down." I felt like I was in some action movie, and he's just sitting there, cool as a cucumber, soaking it all in.

But then it hit me - something was trickling down his waist, from his back to the front. And that's when I saw it - blood. Oh, what the heck? Without thinking, I shot up and moved closer to him.